Facts about England

When you're planning a short visit or a longer holiday, it's useful
to learn a few facts about England first. It will help you understand
the people and customs more easily and will make your visit more
enjoyable.So here I've listed a few things every traveller should know...

England perches on the western edge of Europe. It is part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and is variously called England, Great Britain, Britain or the UK.

The name "England" is most often used by the English themselves and
to distinguish this part of the country from Wales, Scotland or Ireland.

England has a history stretching back 6000 years and many historical
monuments to prove it. But it's also a young, vibrant, dynamic country,
blessed with a superb countryside and attractions galore.

Hiking, golf, riding, cycling and mountain-biking are popular past
times, as are more adventurous forms of sport such as caving, climbing
or diving.

Time Zone

All of England is on the same time zone: Greenwich Mean Time. That's
the same time as Iceland and the Cap Verde Islands. And we do practise
Daylight Saving Time during the summer months, so come March, the clocks are put forward one hour until the end of October, when they go back to GMT.

Weather

The English famously talk a lot about the weather ... that's because
it changes so often and so easily. The reason for this is England's
location, right at the edge of Europe.

Generally, the climate is mild and damp. It rains quite a bit and
temperatures rarely drop below freezing. Essentially England's guide to
the weather in England will tell you want to expect from our climate at different times in the year, helping you to plan your trip.

Landscape

England's landscape is amazingly varied. It's one of the things I
like so much. You drive for an hour and suddenly the countryside around
you has a completely different flavour.

England's position at the edge of Europe means that geologically
it's been through a lot of upheaval. Over millions of years mountains
were raised and sank back into the sea, volcanoes erupted and massive
ice sheets covered the country.

Industry

Throughout its long history, England has been a nation of fishers and farmers.

No point in England is further than 80 miles (120km) from the coast
and along this varied coastline all manner of fish are landed, from
herrings in the north-east, to shrimps in Morecambe Bay in the
north-west, with oysters, shellfish, flat fish, cod, salmon and trout all along the coast.

The fertile lands in between have been farmed since ancient times,
but with the coming of the industrial revolution more than just the
landscape changed.

From the cradle of industry in Ironbridge Gorge in Shropshire,
manufacturies soon spread throughout the country. The Black Country,
south of Birmingham, became famous for iron works. Coal was mined from
Nottingham to Yorkshire. Sheffield made steel and Stafford pottery.
Manchester, Bradford and Leeds produced cotton and cloth. Ships were
built along the river Tyne in the north-east. And Swindon built trains.

But many of these old industries have now gone and the country, and its landscape are changing once more.